The Brenizer Method

This is a new technique that I just learned about. I have never heard of it before and apparently Ryan Brenizer is the originator of this method.

The idea is to take a wide angle image (one that covers are large area of a scene) but retain a shallow depth of field (the main subject is in sharp focus while the foreground and background are out of focus). If you have ever shot with a wide angle lens, than you know that even at their widest aperture, the overall image is rather sharp  from foreground to background. Ryan Brenizer created this method to overcome that issue.

Here is how I shot my first Brenizer image. I used my 50mm f/1.8 lens. Everything was set to manual (shutterspeed, aperture, ISO, WB, focus). I then "scanned" the scene firing off about 30-40 images. It is essentially a panorama. After stitching the images together using PTgui, I re-imported into Lightroom and finished the editing process. I suggest you check out Ryan's work, as he is the originator and the master of the technique.

On Our Own

Well, here is the completed collection of photos for my biggest and most complicated series so far. This shoot drained me physically, emotionally, and artistically. I would like to do a series like this again some time in the future. I have learned a lot from this series and if that is all that comes from it, than all the better. 

Fort Worth on Film 2

Back to the ol' 35mm camera. This time I shot the highly acclaimed Kodak Ektar 100 color film. I have read a lot of good things about this film and was expecting a lot. It did not disappoint. The images are sharp and colorful. The grain is very nice up close and from a distance the images appear sharp. I was also surprised to see how much information the negatives retained. I was able to pull a lot of the skies back down from overexposed.

My only regret so far, is that I could not have picked a worse day to shoot architecture. The sky was either completely overcast and therefore bland, or it was perfectly clear which did nothing to help the images. I did have a few that came back with some nice clouds and I was able to pull them in to proper light using Lightroom 4's new highlight/shadow algorithms. This thing does amazing stuff with images.

I will return to shooting film again in the future; however, it is quite expensive so I must take a break every now and then. Maybe I will try the 4x5 Toyoview next time.

The Traditional Wedding Photographer

Photo by Busath Photography

Photo by Mario Testino

I just read this article by wedding stylist Lauren Johnson. It covered something that I have been thinking a lot about. The gist of the article is that pro wedding photographers are moving back to using traditional style portraits. This trend was brought to the fore front when Mario Testino released the wedding portraits from Prince William and Kate Middleton. The images were not shot in a rustic urban setting, they did not have the vintage film look, and they were posed very conservatively.

Article by Lauren Johnson

This look goes back to my style of wedding portraits. I like to shoot traditional style. Give a timeless look to the images. Will these trendy looks survive the test of time or will they become cliche' and outdated. When we look at wedding photos from the 80's and 90's we can tell if they were taken during those years because of the trendy looks they had. Sometimes these images are mocked for how dated the styling is. What will we think if 20 or 30 years from now we look back at the images from this time period? Will we mock them for being so "instagramy"?

Fort Worth on Film

Finally got the prints done for my next series. The idea is simple. Photograph outdoor seating at restaurants, coffee shops, and diners. I don't really know what it is about the absence of people in these images that draws me to them time and time again. It has such a quiet feeling, like the calm before the storm. At some point, each of these seats will be filled with hungry patrons.

As for my experience with film, I still like it a lot. The Canon AE-1 is a great little camera and with the 50mm 1.8 on the front, the images are remarkable. I used Fuji 200 speed film for these shots. My next series will be Ektar 100 speed film. I have heard great things about that film and can't wait to shoot it and get it processed.

There are so many things to think about when shooting with film. It really constrains you and forces you to think about things a little harder. The AE-1 also does not have auto-focus and its Av mode is not really helpful. The light meter works pretty well. I know with film, I have some leeway on how dark and light I can go and still get a great looking image.

So, enjoy the images, leave a comment, and let me know what you would like me to shoot next.

Shoot film and pay the price

So, I completely intended to upload some images I shot with my Canon AE-1. So, I dropped the film off for processing this morning, fully expecting them to be done by 12pm. I return at that time and ask for the film. After looking all over the counter for the images, the employee finds a set waiting next to their machine. Apparently, their machine broke and they are waiting on Kodak to come repair it. They said it should be ready in the afternoon. So, I return in the evening thinking, certainly the images are done. Nope. Come to find out, the employee was unable to open the film canister and had written my phone number down wrong. The employee on that night said they should have ready in the morning. Ah, the joys of attempting film photography.

Dark Jedi Dav Ravenstar

Anyone who really knows me, knows I like Star Wars and all that it entails. This includes the costuming culture in this world. I have several friends who have completed their Star Wars costumes and have even been inducted into a costuming club. These clubs are not just about creating cool looking costumes. They also attend charity events and help raise money for all sorts of causes. You might be surprised to find out how much of a boost in charitable donations they provide just by showing up. The most famous of these groups is the 501st or Vader's fist (the group is so popular that they were included in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith).

The images I took recently are of my close friend, David Wilson, in his Dark Jedi costume. These images are for his acceptance into The Dark Empire costuming club. This particular club deals entirely in the Sith lords and Dark Jedis of Star Wars. Many of the costumes are completely custom while others are canon (Darth Maul, Vader, Palpatine).

The overall images were shot using natural light and processed in Lightroom and Photoshop. I also used Color Efex Pro and Knoll Lightfactory for some special effects looks.

Chillin' at Chili's

I took my daughters out to Chili's and forgot my camera. They sat us next to a window. While we were waiting for our food, my youngest was looking out the window as the traffic passed by. The light was great and she looked so sweet. I pulled out my phone (a Huawei "smart" phone) and snapped a picture. I usually don't take pictures with my phone, being that it does not have the best quality. But, I have always said that it is the photographer that makes the photo, not the equipment. So, this is a challenge in of itself. I think the photo came out quite well. Enjoy.

Bridges Over Trinity, Fort Worth, TX

This is the beginning of a new series. It is simple in its concept. I drove around looking for bridges over the Trinity River. Some are more interesting than others, and that is where the challenge is. To photograph each bridge and keep it interesting. It was more about trying to find an angle that represents each bridge and its outstanding qualities. Each image is a multiple exposure HDR. I processed them in Nik HDR Efex Pro 2 and added some extra flair with Color Efex 4.

CD Ski & Sports, Fort Worth, Tx

Another successful interior shoot. This time with CD Ski & Sports. I shot the interior of their Hulen store in Fort Worth. I employed the 17mm and 24mm tilt/shift lenses most in the shoot. I tried a few different angles. Due to the low light levels, I was not able to do a productive panorama using my handheld method. Instead I just shifted the 17mm lens from right to left and took 3 images.
Panorama of the store looking over the DJ booth.







The dressing rooms. This is an example of what a tilt can do for an image. I tilted the lens so that only far left side of the image is in focus, drawing attention to that particular spot. I used a similar approach for the ski section.